Amiga Users
by Eric W. Schwartz
from the May 2002 AmiTech-Dayton Gazette
I've thought a bit about the world of Amiga, and noticed a parallel with many other "fan bases" I'm familiar with, but the example I'll give is that of the Transformers fans --- yes, fans of the big form-shifting robot toys, and the associated cartoons and comic books. Now before you dismiss me outright, hear me out for a minute. The "Trans- fans" are often known to show a certain level of dissatisfaction with what is currently available to them, though they still buy and like the Transformers in general. They eagerly anticipate new information on upcoming toys and media, and there's an immediate reaction when that info appears. A lot of people show their disappointment, either subtly or vocally, that the new stuff doesn't live up to their possibly impossible expectations. Others are more guarded, and reserve judgment until they can actually examine the new stuff in person. Still others lash out at the complainers, saying they should all be grateful that Transformers are still being made, and just accept what they're given. Does any of this sound familiar to you?
There are distinct differences of course between that "user base" and our own, but it does show that some things are universal. Another related item is that the Transformer fans are oft-reminded of the fact that they are not the main demographic of the company --- the kids far outnumber the adult fans, so there's little reason for the company to accede to the fans' wishes. It's not quite the same, but it's more than likely that even if every current Amiga user bought a new-technology Amiga, the Amiga company might still fail. The market is vastly different today from when the Amiga 1000 and 500 pioneered into it. Therefore it's not surprising that Amiga is searching in as many directions as they seem to be, to find a piece of the market where they can be successful. It seems that place is definitely not what a lot of Amiga users really want for the next generation, but I can't help but wonder if Amiga needs that obligation, especially when it could mean their own floundering or failure. I won't say that Amiga has a good handle on exactly what they should be doing to find success, but I will drop into a pattern and say we could be happy with the fact that Amiga (and the related hardware and software companies) bothered to do as much as they have for our tiny market. I won't go so far as to imply we should blindly accept whatever we're eventually given, but we can at least make an effort to understand the difficult position of the company in control of our favorite toys.